Alex Biega doesn’t need his Harvard education to understand the situation he’s in. Hockey 101 would tell him as a depth defenceman on the Vancouver Canucks he’s in tough to get ice time. (So far this season, he’s dressed just once and that was as a forward in Anaheim last weekend when the Canucks encountered injury issues and he was pressed into duty in an unfamiliar position.)

So the only game Biega is playing regularly these days is the waiting game. And that’s not much fun. He’s in the National Hockey League and enjoying the many spoils that come with the job, and he certainly isn’t moping or looking for sympathy. But he is a hockey player – with an emphasis on ‘play’ — and the 28-year-old Montreal native admits he’s getting restless waiting for his next opportunity.

“I’m not going to lie to you, it’s difficult not playing every night,” he says. “You want to go in and contribute. You work hard during the off-season to improve on different things to help your team. At the end of the day, it’s about being a good teammate and I really do believe that. That builds a nice foundation for the team success we’re looking for. For myself, I’ve always been a team-first guy and I’m going to take advantage of the time I’m not in there to work with our skills coach.”

Biega has been in this plight before, but this year he’s caught in a multi-layered web that could make returning to the line-up any time soon difficult. With rookie Troy Stecher recalled from the minors and plugged directly into the line-up ahead of him, and Nikita Tryamkin itching for ice time, too, it’s crowded on the Canucks blueline. Factor in waiver ramifications and the NHL expansion draft and Biega may be caught in this holding pattern for a while.

Vancouver Canucks defencemen Nikita Tryamkin, left, and Alex Biega have different types of impacts on the game, but both are keen to get more ice time.

Easing the burden somewhat is the fact he has the security of a two-year $1.5-million US one-way contract. So he’s being compensated handsomely for being a practice player right now. He’d rather earn his money in game action, but that’s not the way it’s going these days. So his chief contribution to the hockey club is pushing those around him to be better.

“For myself, it’s coming to the rink, having a good attitude, working hard every day and trying to become a better player,” he says. “I’m playing hockey for a living. Everyone in the locker-room is living their dream. Yeah, I’d like to be in the line-up contributing, but I take it for what it is and wake up happy.”

At a different point in his career, Biega may have had a more difficult time watching a young player like Stecher airlifted in and given the opportunity he covets. However, he recalls his NHL debut and as a journeyman knows how much it means to anyone getting that first call from the minors.

“I’m genuinely happy for him and last year when guys from Utica got their opportunities, those are guys I played with and went to a Calder Cup with, so it’s great to see them get rewarded,” he says. “You spend your career chasing the NHL carrot and finally guys get rewarded. I’m happy for those guys. I’m old enough to understand you can’t worry about the things you can’t control. Your head will go spinning and it’s just not worth it.”

So Biega continues to battle in practice ready to answer the call from the coach — if and when that day comes. In the meantime, he’ll be the best teammate he can be and do his all to remain patient as the Canucks work through a cluttered defensive depth chart.

Patience, Biega admits, hasn’t always been a strong suit, but like grinding to get to the NHL in the first place, it’s something he has worked hard at over the years.

“Ask my wife when she met me in college, I was probably a loose cannon,” he says with a laugh.

“But over the years, whether it’s having a kid or whatever it is, my patience is now one of my strengths for sure.”

That’s a good thing, because Biega has no way of knowing when this line-up logjam will sort itself out. In the meantime, he’ll show up to work with a smile on his face and be ready for action whenever that call comes.

Comments

We encourage all readers to share their views on our articles and blog posts. We are committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion, so we ask you to avoid personal attacks, and please keep your comments relevant and respectful. If you encounter a comment that is abusive, click the "X" in the upper right corner of the comment box to report spam or abuse. We are using Facebook commenting. Visit our FAQ page for more information.

Canucks Videos

Connect With Us

Email Alerts

Get the latest news in your mailbox as it happens

Classified

Buy, sell and trade smarter.

Stories, pictures and tributes to life. View and place obituaries, and more.

Share the joy. Tell the world. Read and place announcements here.

The faster, fresher and greener way to shop flyers.

Find the job you want in your city. View and place job listings, and more.

Share

Jeff Paterson: Biega just biding his time until he gets into Canucks' rotation

Almost Done!

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Market to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.

Postmedia wants to improve your reading experience as well as share the best deals and promotions from our advertisers with you. The information below will be used to optimize the content and make ads across the network more relevant to you. You can always change the information you share with us by editing your profile.

By clicking "Create Account", I hearby grant permission to Postmedia to use my account information to create my account.

I also accept and agree to be bound by Postmedia's Terms and Conditions with respect to my use of the Site and I have read and understand Postmedia's Privacy Statement. I consent to the collection, use, maintenance, and disclosure of my information in accordance with the Postmedia's Privacy Policy.